Alfred Adolphe Couttet, Armand Charlet, Georges Tairraz

Publication Year: 1976.

ALFRED ADOLPHE COUTTET ARMAND CHARLET GEORGES TAIRRAZ

Alfred Adolphe Couttet and Armand Charlet, two of the most distinguished guides in the history of the French Alps, died at Chamonix during the last year. Although neither was a member of the AAC, both led many AAC members on scores of first ascents and other challenging climbs in the twenties and the thirties. Living in an era when pitons and other hardware were rarely used except to make a rappel easier or safer, they both did free-climbing ascents like the north ridge of the Aiguille de Géant and the Aiguille de la République which are rarely attempted today, even with our wide resources of mechanical aids. Couttet, in particular, was also a man of great depth of character, a philosopher, a lover of nature, a superb photographer and the French national ski champion of 1924. Those of us who had the privilege of climbing behind them and being taught by them will miss them both keenly—as lifelong friends and masters of their profession, at a time when professional guiding in the Alps was at its zenith. Georges Tairraz died in June. He was not only a gifted photographer of the heights but also a licensed member of the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix. He made the first moving pictures of the traverse of the Charmoz and Grépon in 1927 and had a long and distinguished record of photography in the French Alps. Many of the extraordinary and beautiful pictures of Rébuffat were made by him.

Bradford Washburn